Short-term deficits persist in Western Australia

Above average rainfall continued across the northern and central third of Australia during April 2010. For the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB)
averaged as a whole, it has been the sixth wettest start to the year since records began in 1900, while Victoria continues its wettest
start to the year since 1974. However, short-term deficiencies still remain in Western Australia. While recent rainfall has cleared a
number of short-term rainfall deficiencies across eastern Australia, serious deficiencies remain on time-scales longer than two years and
continue to affect water supplies; to alleviate these would require above average rainfall for a sustained period. This is especially true
for the very long-term deficiency periods of 8 and 13 years (see the
drought statement archive). Rainfall has been below average across
much of southwest and southeast Australia since 1997, whilst central and southern parts of the MDB have experienced below average rainfall
since 2002.

13-month rainfall deficiencies

Below average falls over the western half of WA during April 2010 exacerbated areas of rainfall deficiency
in WA as described in the previous drought statement. For the
13-month period from April 2009
to April 2010, serious to severe rainfall deficiencies remain evident over much of the central WA coast reaching
inland, covering much of the Pilbara and Gascoyne districts, where they have intensified to some extent. Serious
to severe rainfall deficiencies also remain evident over the Southeast Coastal and eastern parts of the Great
Southern district.

Whilst recent rains in eastern Australia have provided, in many cases, short-term relief, sustained periods of above-average rainfall are
needed to remove these very long-term deficiencies. These long-term deficiencies have taken place against a background of
well above average temperatures including Australia's warmest decade on record. Further information on exceptional rainfall
and temperature events across Australia can be found in the Special Climate Statements.